


The New Life Festival

by Kairi_of_Knives



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Not quite an AU, References to Alcohol and Drugs, Soulmates, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Temporary Amnesia, background allurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 12:26:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15995204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kairi_of_Knives/pseuds/Kairi_of_Knives
Summary: "I'm Keith, by the way."Shiro jolted a bit. Keith. What was it about that name that set fireworks off in his brain? It was so...familiar. Almost too much so for someone he had just met. But it fit so well. Now that he heard it, it was the most obvious thing in the world. Blinking out of his stupor, he managed a wry smile and returned, "Name's Shiro. It's a pleasure to meet you, Keith."Keith's face contorted in something akin to confusion. His whisper was almost too light to be heard, but Shiro caught the soft repetition of his name on Keith's lips."Something wrong?""No," the response was rushed, Keith's eyes flickering back to meet his own. "Not wrong, just..." He didn't finish that sentence."Do you think, maybe, we could have met before?" Keith's expression was all curiosity, dipped in confusion and interest. It was pretty cute actually."Maybe. In a past life," Keith acknowledged softly.----The New Life Festival of Vale was created to show you who you truly are, outside the context of your life. For some, it's a nice get away.  For others, it reveals the deepest truths of one's soul.  You may even meet your soulmate.





	The New Life Festival

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends!
> 
> Hope everyone's enjoying the countdown to S8. Figured I'd post this before we get wrecked. The way this fic starts will probably be a bit confusing. I promise you'll understand more as you read. This wasn't beta'd so it may be rough. Hope you enjoy it!

Shiro wasn't really sure what other intergalactic festivals were like, but if he had to pick a way to describe the New Life Festival it would be overwhelming.

 

The entire city was dressed up in glowing lights, bathed in the smell of endless food and packed wall to wall with the swaying, joyous bodies of it's thousands of celebrants. Everywhere he looked, there were smiling faces and interesting games, dances or activities to engage in. Too many, really. It was impossible to know what he was interested in doing when there were hundreds of options. Maybe more, he reasoned, having only been wandering through the fairgrounds for about an hour. Everything was viable, too. No one would turn him away if he wanted to join in their fun. It was the festival rule after all. That just made it harder to pick though.

 

"Happy New Life, my brother!" a feminine voice cried from his right, shoving a mug of something pale blue and fruity smelling into his robotic hand. The girl in question had red skin and bright yellow eyes. Despite the sharpness of her fangs, the grin she gave him seemed friendly enough.

 

"Thank you!" he called, plastering a sheepish smile on his own face. Shiro wasn't sure he really wanted to know what was in his mug, but he had a gut feeling it would intoxicate him in some way. Too many other patrons seemed completely removed of their inhibitions for there not to be drinks and drugs about. That, or the powers of the festival itself just weren't affecting him like everyone else. Still, his wristband had no warnings concerning food or drink on it, so he took a long gulp, much to his new friend's delight.

 

"Good, isn't it?" He nodded, repressing a shiver as the somehow freezing cold drink made his head go fuzzy right away. "Excellent! My name's Nori. Enjoying the fair so far, Mr...."

 

"Call me Shiro." Nori grinned once more and pulled him along with her. The passing stalls and attractions didn't seem to catch her eye either. She might not have any more experience than him, but she certainly seemed more comfortable in her own shoes. "How do you decide what to do here?"

 

Looking back at him with understanding for his clearly flustered self in her eyes, she shrugged. "Instinct, personally. Though, I've known a couple people already who are dedicating the day to doing anything they're invited to."

 

"That sounds...awful." His cheeks flushed at the pessimistic response, perhaps a bit too honest for what he wanted to say. Damn drink making him loose lipped. Nori didn't seem to mind.

 

"Here, here!" She dragged him over to a stand with some sort of meat on a stick. Thanking the cook with a kiss on the cheek, she handed one skewer to him and immediately chomped down on the other herself. Her chewing muffled her words, but Shiro's translator picked them up all the same. "I imagine that having too much to choose from is the point. All we have in here is our intuition, time and friendly strangers as company. Looking back on our choices today will be eye opening, that's for sure."

 

Shiro nodded, nibbling at his own skewer of salty, sweet meat. He supposed she was right. The attendant had told him as much when he woke up. The festival existed to show people who they really were. Shiro wondered what his slightly antisocialness and hesitation said about him.

 

"Might as well make some friends and have some fun, though, eh?" A male figure wrapped who left arms around Shiro's shoulders, a conspiratory smirk on his face. "Don't want to regret anything tomorrow, now do we?"

 

Nori rolled her eyes good naturedly. "One might argue that some levels of fun might be causes of regret tomorrow."

 

"Bah! Nonsense. We all knew what we were signing up for. Fortune favors the bold." Turning to Shiro again, the man introduced himself. "I'm Raz. Listen, friend. All sorts of stuff is possible here at the New Life Festival. You could find your new favorite food or your damn soulmate. But you won't find jack shit if you aren't looking."

 

Nori punched Raz in the ribs, laughing. "No way! You don't really believe that fanciful wive's tale do you?"

 

"I'll believe anything right now, babe. Let the magic of your New Life move you. And currently I believe us three should go check out those dancers over there."

 

And so they did. Shiro marveled at the way their little group transformed as they wandered. Raz was a flirt for sure, and very tactile at that. Everywhere they went, another wayward soul would be lost to his charm and join them on their little journey. Nori rolled with the punches, giving her all to any activity she decided to try, but not forcing herself to do anything she wasn't sold on. Between the two of them making new acquaintances, their party was once thirty people large, and sometimes was just them three. While Shiro had definitely been enjoying his time, laughing with Nori at Raz's antics or even his own, nothing they had done and no one they had met really called to him yet. But he wasn't without drive at all. There was this restlessness, deep in his soul. Every now and then it would fade and the flicker back to life. He couldn't get a handle on it, but figured if Raz's talk about the magic of his New Life did have any value, it was related to his feeling.

 

"I'm gonna start a kissing booth," Raz pronounced, looking excitedly to one of the other touchy feely men they had collected most recently. "Wouldn't that be fun? Smooch anyone who wants to? No better way to make friends, I say."

 

Most of their currently small group seemed uninterested, Nori shooting Shiro an incredulous glance. Shiro grinned at Raz. "Sounds very you. If we end up finding it, I'll be sure to stop by."

 

Raz threw his arms around Shiro with a chortle. " You better!" Before he turned to leave, the other man gave Shiro one last look. "I hope you find something here worthy of your attention, Shiro. Good luck."

 

Slowly, their little party disbanded after that. Shiro figured they must have finally reached the center of the city, given the huge square they now stood in, complete with a huge statue and everything. Nori was the last to go, eyes darting this way and that but her feet never strayed from Shiro's side. It was sweet of her. But honestly, the deep endless ache in his gut was more than enough to make him unpleasant company by now. And she obviously had other things of interest.

 

"Nori, you're a wonderful friend, and I appreciate how much you're trying to help, but please go do something fun for yourself. Babysitting me until I come out of my shell can't be the best use of your time."

 

She looked almost guilty as she swiped two tall glasses of some sparkling liquid and handed him one. "If you're sure," she agreed, clinking their glasses together. "I think I'm gonna head over to that dancing tent I keep hearing about. Who knows? Maybe I'll find a special someone to spend curfew with." Her eyes glittered teasingly.

 

One eyebrow raised, Shiro smirked. "That's pretty romantic of you, Miss Cynic. Didn't take you for the type."

 

Nori chuckled, sipping her drink. "I don't know what type I am yet. Guess that's the point."

 

Shiro nodded, tipping his head back a bit to glance up at the sky. Not for the first time, he wondered what he was hoping to get out of this in the first place. No matter how long he searched, he might never know what it was that would fill that empty space, he reasoned. And even if he found it, in a crowded, busy space like this, it could waltz right by him and he would never even know. But, like Nori said, that might have been the point. This entire day was an exercise in retrospective thinking. Why worry over something he had no control over?

 

Taking a deep breath, Shiro decided then and there that the next thing to catch his attention was going to get it undividedly. The suns would set soon and curfew loomed ever closer. He had to do something and there was no time like the present. When brought his attention down from the orange sky, a figure caught his gaze. Atop one of the buildings, eyes also glued to the clouds, was a person. Shiro's heart tightened strangely. How did they even get up there?

 

"Well, it's been fun, Shiro. I hope we see each other again before curfew." Shiro blinked, baffled that he had almost forgotten Nori was with him still. The look she gave him was amused, almost surprised. Of course she didn't miss his new found interest. It was all she had been poking him about all day. She pushed his shoulder a bit, toward the direction he had been gazing in. Shiro smiled, waving at her, and made good on his promise to himself.

 

His feet carried closer to the building, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't find anything to use to get up there. No ladder, steps, or even balcony. So how?

 

"Hi." A gravelly voice called to him from somewhere above his head. Shiro's neck ached from how fast his head whipped back to glance up at it's source. Ah. The person was male. And very surprisingly similar to himself in appearance. Or, well, more so than most of the other festival goers. They had the same pale skin, number of limbs, eyes and facial features. But, where his hair was white and features chiseled, this man was flowing dark locks, pulled up in a ponytail and lean, but muscled curves. He was the first person of Shiro's species he had found and god was he gorgeous.

 

"H-hey!" Shiro stuttered, voice cracking a bit. He felt the back of his neck heat up in embarrassment. "How did you, uh, get up there?"

 

The man smiled brilliantly down at him. "I climbed." His voice was proud, almost challenging. "You could join me. If you can make it up here, that is."

 

He was definitely teasing him, Shiro decided. For some reason that knowledge was the opposite of off-putting. The thrill of competition lit Shiro up like a beacon and instantly had him searching for any structural element he could use to aid himself. He was getting up there, damnit. Both for the challenge of it and to see that face better up close. The only thing to catch his eye was how close this building was to the one beside it. If he pressed his back against one, he could touch the other with both legs and climb that way. In the back of his mind, as he started doing just that, he acknowledged that the man on the roof didn't look as tall as him. Close maybe, but not as tall. Sweat beaded on his brow from exertion as he finally got his enough to peak over the rooftop. As it was he was barely making this work, so his newfound companion probably didn't get up this way. He didn't have any more time to consider alternatives, heaving himself messily onto the roof with an unflattering grunt. His reward was a peel of laughter and two strong but small hands helping him up.

 

"Wow. Color me impressed. I didn't think you'd actually make it."

 

Shiro wished he weren't panting as hard as he was. "Oh yeah? Ha. How did you manage it then?"

 

White teeth greeted him in another dazzling grin. "There's a fire ladder on that building over there."

 

The one he pointed to was at least a block away. Shiro arched a brow at the implication that he had jumped over to this roof from all the way over there. Close up like this, barely a body's worth of space between them, Shiro could now make out that the guy's eyes were purple. A dark black mixed with a tinge of vivid violet. They were pretty- _he_ was pretty. The clear and present danger of making a fool out of himself wasn't enough to seal his mouth shut. "Well, I hope that stunning display of coordinated athleticism was enough to pass your test."

 

"Meh, I guess," the uninterested drawl didn't match the mirth swimming in those eyes. They shared an amused smile for a beat. "I'm Keith, by the way."

 

Shiro jolted a bit, something clicking together in his brain almost audibly. Keith. _Keith_. What was it about that name that set fireworks off in his brain? It was so...familiar. Almost too much so for someone he had just met. But it fit so well. The messy hair, the sharp nose, bright, shining eyes, they all screamed Keith to him. Now that he heard it, it was the most obvious thing in the world. Blinking out of his stupor, he managed a wry smile and returned, "Name's Shiro. It's a pleasure to meet you, Keith."

 

Keith's face contorted in something akin to confusion. His whisper was almost too light to be heard, but Shiro caught the soft repetition of his name on Keith's lips. Shiro couldn't fault him, he himself had almost done the same thing. If anything, the very notion that he might not alone in his weird feeling of familiarity emboldened him.

 

"Something wrong?"

 

"No," the response was rushed, Keith's eyes flickering back to meet his own. "Not wrong, just..." He didn't finish that sentence.

 

Shiro steeled himself, dragging this...whatever it was, out into the light of day for them to deal with. "Do you think, maybe, we could have met before?" Keith's expression was all curiosity, dipped in confusion and interest. It was pretty cute actually.

 

"Maybe. In a past life," Keith acknowledged softly.

 

That was all Shiro really needed to know. His eyes glanced over the festival around them, almost having forgotten it existed until it was in front of his face again. There was still so much out there to do, but if Shiro was being honest with himself, he really didn't feel any need to experience any of it. Not for the sake of it. But, he did picture the look on Keith's face when he played a game for the first time, wondered if his brow would scrunch up when he concentrated. If his eyes would glitter happily when he tasted something he liked for the first time. It was weird that the reactions of some person he found up on a roof would matter more to him than this entire festival, but for the first time since waking up he was excited about something. That was enough reason to venture back out there.

 

"Keith," he started, mouth curling pleasantly around his new friend's name. "Do you...want to go wander around the fairgrounds together?"

 

The younger man blinked at him for a moment, eyes roaming his face looking for...something. Shiro felt his cheeks burn a bit under Keith's scrutiny. Then, seemingly satisfied, Keith's eyes narrowed dangerously and a playful smirk spread across his lips. "Are you propositioning me, Shiro?" Something about his tone was entirely too pleased for the tease to bite as much as it could have.

 

"I'm not hearing a no," Shiro noticed.

 

Keith's eyes betrayed his obvious excitement at this turn of events even as he hopped to his feet and aloofly sang, "Sure. If you can keep up, that is."

 

"Always the challenge with you, huh?" Shiro wasn't displeased.

 

Keith set off without a response. Shiro had to exert himself a little to keep pace with how effortlessly Keith could jump across the rooftops, but he did indeed stay right on his tail, four buildings over and down the fire escape back to the streets. His competency at roof hopping (or perhaps that he was willing to meet Keith's challenges head on with such seriousness) seemed to endear him to Keith a bit. A victory to be certain. As soon as they had wandered out into the crowd again, Keith reached a hand out to take his right metallic hand firmly in his grasp. He no longer pulled Shiro along, but walked contently at his side. "Where to?"

 

Shiro had a feeling he could have said anything in that moment. In retrospect, he didn't recall what he actually had said. Only that his chest was warm with that intimate knowledge that Keith viewed him as an equal, worthy of his time. He could have spent the whole day chasing Keith's dust and been perfectly content, but this? This was much better. Alarming in how quickly he had delighted in one person's attention and opinion, but far too pleasant for Shiro to question it.

 

In retrospect Shiro would also come to realize that the feeling of empty yearning had not once resurfaced since spotting Keith up on that roof.

 

~x~x~

 

Investigating the fairgrounds with Keith proved to be a much different experience than going with Raz and Nori had. For one, Keith seemed to be a solitary creature by habit. This wasn't to say he was unfriendly. Not at all. More so, he was somewhat of a social vampire. If he was invited specifically into a conversation, he was lively, smiled often and freely, shared his thoughts. Otherwise, he was content to be a wallflower. It was a relief to Shiro, who found himself emboldened by Keith's calm reclusiveness rather than stifled by it. Where Keith was quiet, Shiro had no trouble being loud. Where Keith got to know one person well, Shiro held half conversations with many people, sending the ones he knew Keith would get along with his way.

 

The only person Keith didn't hesitate to talk to was Shiro. A fact that Shiro was trying very hard not to read into. Which proved difficult the more time they spent together. Keith was undeniably attractive. Shiro had noticed plenty of other festival goers obviously take note of that characteristic as well. He held himself confidently, paid attention when people spoke, returned physical affection freely where it was given. But no matter how well he seemed to get along with someone, the moment that ugly tendril of jealousy reared its head in Shiro, Keith would float effortlessly back into his orbit, laying a hand on his shoulder or bumping his forehead against Shiro's back playfully.

 

Their easy coexistence wasn't without a goal though. Neither party had anything in particular they wanted to do at the festival, but Shiro had heard such high regard for the dancing tent Nori had set off towards that he couldn't help his curiosity. Keith admitted he cared almost nothing for dancing, but would go if Shiro wanted to. Shiro made him promise he'd stop their journey to try anything that caught his fancy along the way. In the interest of fairness, of course.

 

The first thing to truly catch Keith's eye ended up being a large compilation of different screens and holopads, all playing different sorts of games on them. A decently sized crowd had gathered to watch the various festivities, but few seemed inclined to stay and play along. Which was fine by Shiro, especially since that meant he might get to play something himself.

 

"Anyone want to join in? Now or never!" called a feminine voice from one of the larger setups. To Shiro's surprise, the voice belonged to another humanoid. She was tiny, with messy brown hair and a mile long grin. The clothes she had chosen for herself were baggy but looked comfortable. It was obvious she had been here awhile. He was endeared to her immediately. He took a glance back at Keith, raising an eyebrow in question. Keith merely smiled and waved him off. Taking that as permission, Shiro raised a hand in greeting.

 

"Yeah. I'll play with you."

 

"Perfect!" The girl patted the seat next to her excitedly. "Have a seat. My name's Katie."

 

Plopping down and taking the controller he was offered, Shiro smiled back at her. "Lovely to meet you, Katie. I'm Shiro."

 

Katie, as it turned out, was endlessly passionate, smart as a whip, but not very good at explaining things in a way others could understand. Which was unfortunate, because Shiro was absolutely lost with regards to the game she had picked. It was a strange mix of a normal roleplay game and a puzzle game, where completing the puzzle powered up your character's attacks in battle and the battle changed the conditions of the puzzle as it went on. Watching Katie's character Pidge tear the their enemies, Shiro reasoned there had to be some rhyme or reason to how that mechanic worked, but any amount of taking things slow so Shiro could figure it out only seemed to bore his party member. In the end, Katie carried their party as far as she could (while Shiro's poor Gyro died pathetically every single fight) until a wayward miniboss bested her. Despite how pitiful of a gaming partner he had been, Katie didn't seem displeased. He almost suggested they go another round when a voice from behind him caught his attention.

 

"Man, that has to be one of the most convoluted fighting systems I've seen here so far. Those bosses looked hard enough already. What does the puzzle part add here exactly?"

 

The man behind them was dark skinned, wearing a checkered bandana on his brown hair. He too was human, a fact that Shiro was growing more surprised at by the minute. Was their species just super prominent at this festival or were they all meeting up via blink luck? Regardless, Katie didn't seem to share his intrigue and immediately launched into a long winded defense of the game's battle system. Despite the loud and frenzied natural of the conversation, both parties were smiling and the discussion lacked any hostility. Shiro smiled, looking past Hunk, hoping to share his amusement with Keith. Keith was nowhere to be found. A shard of cold fear stabbed at his heart. How long had he and Katie been playing? Did Keith get bored? In a festival this large, Shiro knew that if he had disappeared, it would be tragically unlikely that they'd ever meet up again.

 

Before he could get too lost in his panic, the newcomer, whose name was apparently Hunk, redirected the conversation, eyeing Shiro a bit. "If you want to see someone really destroy the game they're playing, go check out that dark haired guy on the flight sim. Three people before him couldn't even make it passed the third level, but he was on fifteen last I checked? It's nuts."

 

Sure enough, though he couldn't completely see him from where they were sitting, Keith was contently perched on a stool in the far corner. He had attracted quite the crowd too. Shiro had to push through it a bit to even see the screen, but once he did, a low whistle escaped him. The goal seemed pretty simple: get your ship to the station in one piece. Faster times meant higher scores so speed was essential. On a lower level, Shiro was sure anyone would be able to do that much.

 

At level 27, Keith's path took him through a dogfight with several enemy ships through a terrifyingly cluttered asteroid field. Most people would likely slow down in this scenario, try to avoid the asteroids and maybe take out the ships. They would likely not last long. The asteroids themselves were moving very quickly, slamming into one another, cutting off and creating paths quicker than the general person's reaction time. Keith however had no problem zooming narrowly between asteroids, spinning and diving so that his pursuers would be unable to follow his crazed pattern. The crowd of watchers was oddly silent, as if they feared cheering Keith on might ruin his focus. And given how far away Keith looked, that very well might have been true. The ship clipped an asteroid roughly, but did manage to fly out of the field and safely into the station. The moment the message "level completed" appeared on the screen, a cacophony of claps and cheers rang out, startling Keith enough to make him physically jump.

 

Katie and Hunk were particularly impressed with Keith's flying skills, wasting no time with greetings past brief introductions and jumping straight into a rousing strategy planning session for the simulator. Sadly, Keith didn't have much advice for them.

 

"I wasn't really thinking back there. I just kind of...flew."

 

Shiro tried and failed to not laugh at the clearly unimpressed looks he got from their new friends at that explanation.

 

~x~x~

 

The thing that pulled them away from their little video game bunker was hunger and to their apparent luck, Hunk had spent most of his New Life Festival cooking with several other people and wandering around handing out food. Even Katie couldn't resist the thought of good food and joined them on the trek back to Hunk's makeshift kitchen.

 

Good was not a strong enough adjective to describe the food Hunk and his cohort cooked up.

 

There were several different types of cooked meats, slathered in sauces ranging from tangy to sweet to sour. For such a small thing, Katie could sure put food away, demolishing four full plates of meats, cheeses, soups and the occasional dessert. Shiro's favorite meal by far was something that felt so familiar, the very taste of it burned at his brain, aggressively searching for the name of it's likeness. Curly pasta in a creamy sauce that lit up his taste buds like a lantern. Apparently the agony of not knowing what to call the dish showed on his face because Hunk had awkwardly laughed, "Aww man, do you not like the macaroni in cheese sauce, Shiro?"

 

"Mac N' Cheese!" Shiro cried, almost jumping out of his seat in glee. Katie choked a bit on her food at his exclamation. Keith looked ready to burst into laughter. "That's what it's called! God, why couldn't I remember that?"

 

Keith stifled his giggles behind a hand. "Must be a colloquialism from your home world. That sort of thing probably didn't survive the memory repression all that well."

 

Shiro wasn't sure what idea bothered him more: the fact that there was any memory repression at all or that Keith didn't say "our home world".

 

After their bellies had been sufficiently stuffed, they all set out in the vague direction of the dancing tent. Katie and Hunk weren't sure they were too interested in it either, but Katie pointed out that there was supposed to be a fireworks show near the pier that night and the dancing tent was supposed to be right off of the pier. Shiro hastened a look at the sky, shocked to see that the last of the sun's light was fading. When had that happened? Only a few more hours until the fireworks started and then it would likely be curfew. Shiro frowned. Twelve hours had never felt like so short a time.

 

"Hey! Shiro! Over here, handsome!"

 

That had to be one of the last things Shiro expected to hear called out across a crowded street. Still, he recognized that voice. Sure enough, waving madly from a very well loved booth was Raz. That brought an honest smile to Shiro's face. Keith shot him a confused look, which he responded to by grabbing his hand and pulling him forward.

 

"That's Raz. We met about an hour into the Festival. Parted ways a bit before you and I met. Haven't seen him in awhile."

 

Hunk let out a questioning noise. "Uhhhh you're friends with someone who runs a kissing booth called Puckers?"

 

"And what's wrong with that?" A tall, but very skinny young man from Raz's side piped up, confident grin on his face. Another human. At this point Shiro was having a hard time finding novelty in how easily they found their own kind. This one looked right up Raz's alley though. "We have a lot of lovin' to spare. And nothing brings people together like a little love."

 

Raz grinned madly, slapping the boy on the back. "Too true, Lance!" The four armed man turned his attention back to Shiro. "I see you made some friends, Shiro. Good for you. Did'ya come all this way to get that kiss I promised you?"

 

Shiro tried to keep the awkward off of his face, but he knew well enough it was a lost cause. "Not quite, Raz. We were headed to find Nori. Heard she went to that dancing thing down by the pier. It is really nice to see you again though."

 

"Aww, but you came all this way," Lance drawled, sounding playful but not overbearing. "Might as well get one for the road. If you don't want one from Raz, I'll gladly kiss you myself."

 

Keith chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Only at a place like the Festival could you sell kisses to someone by saying 'they might as well kiss you'."

 

A small spark lit in Lance's blue eyes. Shiro grimaced at bit in recognition that Lance had taken it upon himself to make Keith eat those words. Oh boy. He glanced back at Katie for help, but judging from the amused grin on her and Hunk's faces he would receive no backup from the likes of them.

 

"Some people aren't afraid to make a connection with someone. Us social types even enjoy it. You should try it sometime."

 

Keith scoffed, luckily not looking offended. "Doubt you could make much of a connection with someone just through a quick snog."

 

"How would you know?" Lance sang, leaning in towards Keith. "You haven't tried it. Well, not that you remember anyway."

 

"You're saying if I kissed you right now I'd be sure to feel some sort of connection?"

 

Lance's grin was sinister. The cat that caught the cannery. "You only live your New Life once, as they say."

 

Shiro honestly expected Keith to blow him off. There was only so much teasing Keith typically would fall prey to before stepping back to regroup. In the few hours he had known him, though it felt like years somehow, Keith had proven himself to keep as much distance emotionally as he did physically. But, much like his ability to socialize, it seemed that Keith being invited, or more accurately challenged, to open up worked just as well as summoning him into a conversation. It wasn't the most romantic thing ever. Pretty short, very deep though. Keith merely grabbed Lance by the collar of his shirt, dragged his mouth to his so tightly Shiro could swear he saw Lance wince. But what Keith lacked in skill he often made up for in determination. By the time Keith was done working his mouth, and obviously his tongue too, against Lance's, the latter boy was flushed and hazy eyed. It was an all too perfect expression for him to have on his face when Keith smacked his lips, and snarked, "There, I tried it. Sorry buddy, no connection found."

 

Katie and Hunk burst into laughter, patting Keith on the back incredulously. Lance could only blink and smile wryly. "Can't win 'em all, I guess."

 

Shiro bitterly thought to himself that anyone who could kiss Keith and not consider that winning wasn't worthy of it. It wasn't really that he was upset with Keith for kissing Lance. Keith could kiss whoever he wanted. That didn't mean that Shiro didn't wish deep in his soul that Keith would want to kiss _him_ , though. It wasn't logical. Shiro had met Keith maybe six hours ago. That was basically no time at all. Yet, Shiro couldn't deny that he _liked_ Keith. In some all consuming and frankly frightening way that he would probably take with him to the grave at this point.

 

"You never know, boys. That connection might have been made without you even realizing." Raz spoke up, hand on his chin thoughtfully. "You know, there's actually a pretty cool myth about the New Life Festival. The way we are here is basically us with all the conditional stuff stripped away. They say that if you knew someone in your Old Life and meet them here, out of the thousands and thousands of people at this festival, then your souls are connected."

 

"You're talking like soulmates right?" Hunk questioned.

 

"Right on," Raz confirmed. "So don't go smack talking our little piece of heaven here, Keith. Any person in this crowd could be someone we are connected to cosmically, in a way stronger than even our memories can bind us. That's why the unofficial rule of 'follow your gut always' exists in here. It knows the stuff you've forgotten."

 

Shiro let Raz's words wash over him, glancing at Keith again. He knew what his gut wanted him to do, he thought, smiling as Keith came over to lean against his side. The only limiting factor now would be whether he was brave enough to follow through.

 

~x~x~

 

For all Lance's talk about how revolutionary the kissing booth was, it didn't take very much more than the word "dancing" to get him to leave it. Raz had hinted that it was getting close to the time where he needed to close up shop anyway, another cosmic reminder that their time was horridly finite. There was a brief moment in time where Shiro had irrationally feared that Lance's true reason to join their little group was to sneak more kisses from Keith. That had quickly been squashed when their newcomer immediately took one of Katie's hands and one of Hunk's, chatting happily with them as they walked to their destination. It was...cute really. Lance up close was a lot different than Shiro imagined. For all his bravado, he was actually pretty shy about initiating anything. Keith theorized quietly in his ear that it was Lance's way of making sure he never pushed anything on anyone. Which was a much more polite and sweet outlook on the goading needed to get Keith to kiss him than Shiro's original take on that.

 

It also helped that the bitterness in Shiro's soul concerning that kiss had all but leaked out all over the floor when Keith had decided to take his hand for the duration of their journey. Shiro tightened his grip a bit, thinking miserably that he hated how hard it was to get comfortable with this. Keith had made it very clear from the first moment they set out together that he had no intention of going anywhere. In truth, Shiro's massively pathetic and irrational possessiveness towards Keith was more born out of the fact that no matter how dedicated to each other they were here at the Festival, the looming idea of curfew still had it within its power to crush this budding, beautiful thing into dust.

 

"Gac for your thoughts?"

 

The look on Keith's face told him Keith had guessed that his thousand yard stare was an anxious meltdown. Shiro smiled sheepishly, rubbing a hand on his neck. "Sorry."

 

Keith looked at him for a moment, eyes poring over his expression, before he nodded. "Don't let it eat away at you. You can talk to me, you know."

 

"It's...silly. I don't even need to say it out loud to know that."

 

"But it's bothering you." Keith pointed out. "Therefore it's important."

 

Shiro sighed, shrugging. "We don't have much time left."

 

Tilting his head a bit, Keith agreed, "Little less than five hours, yeah. Is there anything you feel like we haven't gotten to do yet that we can't possibly do in five hours?"

 

 _Fall in love. Share a life together. Get to know each other._ Shiro couldn't bring himself to say any of those. Their New Lives weren't particular designed for any of that anyway. After all, how much can you get to know someone with no past to speak of? But still, this humongous, undefined Thing between them had to have some merit. It would literally kill him to look back on this day and think _"ah well that was a cool but meaningless aside to my real life."_

 

Keith was still waiting on an answer. "I guess I just wish there was no timer on this at all. I'm...happy I met you."

 

The hand in Shiro's grip squeezed his tightly, Keith's head coming to rest on his shoulder. "And I'm happy I met you. Can we agree to not waste the time we do have mourning what we don't, though? We can still make plenty of memories before we go."

 

Shiro nodded, basking in the warmth of Keith against his side. "Yeah."

 

"Woah. This is one sick party, guys. Nice call coming here, Shiro," Lance called from ahead of them.

 

It wasn't until Lance pointed it out that Shiro noticed the loud, heavy beated music coming from down the hill. At some point, this place was probably accurately described as a dancing tent. Now, it was more like a tent with a loud speaker in it fueling a street block long dancing party. The sunlight had faded enough that the strobe lights shining from near the speakers lit up the street in a surreal way. Dancers were bathed in blue, then red, then gold over and over to the fast paced music consuming this entire area. A couple of drink venders had seen a marvelous opportunity here and set up shop near the sea of sweaty, grooving bodies. The only people more popular than them seemed to be the group of DJs.

 

Lance was right. This was sick as hell.

 

Katie already had a grimace on her face. "Oh boy. I'd say we should avoid this and go get good seats for the fireworks, Hunk, but I don't see a way around this crowd."

 

"Yeah," Hunk drawled, looking a bit anxious himself. "Only option seems to cutting through here."

 

"Aww, c'mon guys! Where's the fire? We got at least an hour or two before the fireworks start. You really want to miss out of this action just to sit around somewhere for hours?"

 

Hunk and Katie shared a glance, then deadpanned back at Lance. "Yep." "Kinda."

 

Shiro chuckled, deciding to play diplomat. "We might as well get ourselves some drinks and wander around the outskirts a bit. Then we can decide if we want to split up or not."

 

Keith piped up from beside him, shooting Lance a conspiratory grin. "Besides, dancing with a group of friends is probably more fun than pushing through a pile of bodies by yourselves."

 

Lance gave a cheer at Keith's support, throwing an arm around him. "Yeah, yeah. We can escort you! Only rule is: we dance from one side to the other instead of walk."

 

Katie looked wholly unimpressed with this suggestion, looking to Hunk to be her saving grace. Hunk shrugged sheepishly, "It _would_ blow some time."

 

Realizing it was a 4 v 1 argument at this point, Katie crossed her arms fussily and grouched, "Fiiiine."

 

Lance threw his arms up in glee at their victory, planting one firm celebratory kiss on Keith's cheek, and then one on Shiro's. He raced over to Katie, grabbed her hand, and down the hill they went, Hunk following closely after. Keith pulled him from his slight shock with a giggle, tugging at this hand to get them moving too.

 

Shiro smirked a bit at the shorter man, leaning in to whisper in his ear, "I thought you weren't the dancing type."

 

He wasn't sure if he imagined Keith's shiver or not, but the thought lit a small bonfire in his stomach all the same. "Maybe," Keith snarked in return, "I was just being logical. And besides, I like the music."

 

Shiro couldn't disagree with that. The bass was heavy, pounding so loudly even from the sidelines of the mob of dancers that Shiro felt the vibration of it in his ribcage. It was a more electronic style of music. Perfect for swaying your hips and bobbing your head to even if you were incapable of the flowing elegant style of dancing some of the patrons were exhibiting from their spots high on top of tables, walls and balconies. Shiro's quick scan of the area came up empty for the one body he hoped to find among this crowd. Then again, it had been hours since Nori said she'd be headed this way. If it wasn't her thing, she would have taken off in no time flat. Still, Shiro thought, gulping down a drink that burned a bit too much to not be alcoholic, he didn't regret coming here. No better place to lose your thoughts than in a big crowd with thunderous music.

 

"You guys about ready to try to tackle that," Shiro half-screamed, nodding toward the dance floor. Katie threw the rest of her drink back in response, face contorting hilariously. Lance had already started swaying, nodding along with the beat and Shiro's question. Keith and Hunk both gave thumbs up. "Alright! Let's get going then."

 

A dark skinned woman with pointed ears and ethereal white hair laid a hand on his shoulder, smiling up at him. "Do you mind if I join you? Pushing back into that beast is always easier with more people." Her voice was accented, but almost regal. Between her voice, her devastatingly lovely face and the almost nonexistent clothing she was wearing (just a bikini top and shorts with knee high boots), Shiro was pretty certain that this woman was some sort of goddess among men.

 

He was also sure that the fact that he wasn't immediately hot and bothered just by her presence meant he was extremely gay.

 

"Sure! The more the merrier," Keith smiled, also seemingly unaffected. Good, Shiro thought smugly.

 

Lance, on the other, hand was unsurprisingly tomato red. Still, he managed to push through his sudden fluster with more grace than Shiro expected. Throwing a friendly arm around the young woman, he crowned "Yeah, yeah! Get on in here. Always happy to share the company of a pretty lady like yourself. Name's Lance. The guys are Shiro, Keith and Hunk. Cute, grumpy girl's Katie. And you are?"

 

"Allura," she greeted, eyes narrowed at Lance's painfully obvious display. The smile on her face said it wasn't completely unwelcome though. Extracting herself from Lance's hold and twirling once to face them all, she bid them forward. "Shall we?"

 

Allura's clothing choices made more and more sense by the minute once they pushed their way into the crowd. It was _hot_. Lance wasted no time tugging his shirt off and shoving it haphazardly into the waistband of his pants. Shiro deeply considered doing the same, but was extremely conscious of what a mess of scars his body was. Keith seemed completely unaffected by the heat in his thin, flowy, silky pants and skin tight tank top. The only indication that the heated mess of bodies around them was getting to him at all was the sweat on the back of his neck. They mostly stayed in a tight circle, making progress where they could, but mostly just laughing and moving with the music. Allura was a fine addition to their little fold, her goofy but elegant antics enough to make even Katie crack a smile. As the music changed to something smoother and more, dare he say it, romantic sounding, people around them started pairing off. It was still a deeply sensual song, but definitely more suited to partner dancing.

 

Before Lance could even look in Allura's direction she was swept up by Katie, who shot Lance a rude gesture over the taller woman's shoulders. Hunk took pity on the poor guy, effortless and unphased, twirling Lance in his arms. Shiro smiled at Lance's delighted laugh. He and Keith stayed mostly unmoving for a moment. Keith had yet to take his eyes off of Hunk and Lance, a small amused smile on his lips. Shiro bit his lip, arms literally aching to wrap around his form but head still full of what ifs and hesitation.

 

A dainty pair of hands grabbed his shoulders from behind, Allura's melodic voice ringing in his ear. "Get out of your head, Shiro. Somethings you just have to do even if you haven't worked them out from every angle." For being much smaller than him, she packed quite a punch, shoving him harshly into Keith's space. Shiro had no choice but to grab Keith fiercely, else they would have both hit the floor.

 

Keith's laugh, a mix of hilarity and surprise, made his chest clench. "You alright?"

 

They straightened out their bodies but Shiro only tightened his grip. "Y-yeah." Sending a glance back at Allura, who was happily leading Katie into a spin, he took a breath to steel himself. "Dance with me?"

 

"Of course." There was something so soft about the shy smile Keith sent him. It made being brave here easier.

 

The swaying bodies around them made maintaining a conservative distance between them impossible. That suited Shiro just fine. It wasn't just that Keith's body felt divine pressed intimately against his- stars help him, it did though- but more that it felt natural to be in close quarters. They fit well together. Keith's head could rest itself comfortably against his shoulder with minimal neck strain. It was bliss. Not even though disgusting amount of sweat drenching his shirt could ruin the marvel that was Keith close enough to see the slight strobe light colors reflected in his eyes.

 

The look in his partner's eyes was seductive. Not in a heated way, but open and endlessly warm. Every nerve in Shiro's body screamed for him to dispel his stupid worries about the future and inevitable passage of time and just take what he wanted. And what he wanted was to seal his lips to Keith's. Indefinitely.

 

His turmoil must have shown on his face, because Keith, ever brave and beautiful man that he was, slipped a hand to cradle the back of his head with a chuckle. "Stop thinking so much. Stay right here with me, Shiro."

 

"No place I'd rather be", he responded, breathless. And it was true. Their faces glided slowly closer and closer, until he could taste the alcohol on Keith's breath.

 

"Shiro!"

 

He bit his lip, trying and failing not to curse aloud at the interruption. Judging by Keith's sour scowl, he wasn't too pleased either. It brightened Shiro's mood a bit.

 

Turning to face the newcomer, he realized with slight surprise that it was Nori. Nori, who looked interested, if not a bit smug. "Nori," he greeted, untangling himself and Keith just enough to be polite, but maintaining a firm hand, floating hand around Keith's waist. His partner leaned heavily into his side, looking flushed and content.

 

"Wow," Nori drawled. "Guess you didn't have too much of a hard time finding friends." She said friends with a strong emphasis. Shiro resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm Nori. And you are...?"

 

"Keith."

 

"A pleasure. Hope you two are enjoying the party."

 

"We certainly were," Keith grumbled under his breath, lost to the music, but not to Shiro. He grinned freely, squeezing Keith a bit. Knowing he wasn't the only one mourning their aborted kiss was almost as intoxicating as the alcohol.

 

"It's definitely impressive. Have you just been here the whole time?"

 

"Basically. Easy to lose yourself here. All music and unobjected touching. Kinda feels like I'm sewing a bit of every dance partner into myself. Less scary than it sounds." Nori directed a sly glance at them. "But I'm sure you two know that well enough."

 

For once he felt no need to hide his blush.

 

It wasn't long before Lance cut through the crowd to summon them forth. Apparently Katie was quite done with dancing and ready to stake out a place for fireworks. They said their goodbyes to Nori, who was content to miss the show in favor of more dancing. Before he set off, Nori had pressed a firm kiss to his cheek. "I don't know if Raz's bullshit soulmate stuff is real or not, but if it somehow is true, I'm glad you were one of the ones to find yours tonight."

 

Shiro didn't have an appropriate response, too overwhelmed by the possibility to do anything other than return her kiss and wish her a happy New Life. If the others noticed how quiet he was on the way to the port, they didn't comment on it. Even being early, most good spots were already taken when they got there.

 

“I want to see if we can’t grab a table.  There still might be some open and I’m hungry again,” Katie complained.  Hunk nodded sagely at her assessment, eyes already scanning the boardwalk for an open spot.

 

“Well, I personally want to hit the beach.  Feel the sand between my toes, ya know?” Lance proposed.  His eyes naturally flitted to Allura, who was by some miracle still with them.  “Any chance you’d want to join me?”

 

Shiro had to wonder if they had gotten that dance in after all, because despite a slightly aloof tone, it didn’t take much coaxing for her to join him.  Meeting his knowing eyes, she arched an eyebrow, daring him to say something. “The water does look lovely, doesn’t it?” Shiro merely grinned.

 

He turned to Keith, whose eyes were wandering along the buildings.  Ah, he wanted to find a way up. “I think Keith and I will find a nice rooftop to lounge on.”  Said man smiled privately, slipping a hand into his. No words of affirmation needed.

 

Lance’s face fell.  “Oh. I guess that means we’re splitting up then.”

 

They all fell silent to that.

 

That would mean goodbye.  Potentially forever. It was definitely sobering.  Hunk was the first to speak. “You guys are good friends.  I’m glad we met up.”

 

Katie had tears in her eyes.  “Y-yeah.”

 

Beside him, Keith opened his arms.  Lance was the first to get the hint, rushing in for a tight hug.  Hunk and Katie latched onto them easily, reaching arms out to drag him and Allura into the fray.  It was...nice. For awhile, they stood content to hold each other and sniffle to themselves.

 

Allura eventually cleared her throat.  “The universe is large, but if I ever see any of you again, I’ll be sure to say hello. That way it’s not really goodbye.”

 

Shiro nodded into Keith’s hair.  “Yeah, it’s only goodbye for now.”

 

And that thought would just have to sustain them, they decided. It was slightly concerning to see them go. But, he thought, Allura was right.  There was nothing saying they couldn't meet again.

 

When it was finally just him and Keith again, his partner turned to him with a grin. "Race you to the roof?"

 

"You know it."

 

The spot they ended up securing was basically deserted, as could be expected since it was also on top of a third story building. It was almost poetic that their time together would be bookended by time staring at the sky from a rooftop.  Shiro wanted to believe that this could just be their thing. Like racing one another and small, friendly challenges. He certainly knew he would never tire to seeing Keith’s profile accented by the glowing stars now filling the sky. No matter how much it depressed him to acknowledge the day was almost over, this view, this moment, here with Keith with only the vastness of space around them, was worth it.

 

“Meeting you was the best part of my New Life,” he affirmed, smiling gently.

 

Violet eyes met his own, a small smile spreading across slightly chapped lips.  “Same here, Shiro.” For the first time since they met, Shiro could see a storm of discomfort forming in those eyes.  It was almost strange. Keith as he knew him here was so self assured, easy going. It was weird to imagine that he might not have been like that before.  That he might not be like that in the future. Shiro did know though that it wouldn’t change anything. This man before him made him feel comfortable, even when he felt lost and alone, separated from the core of himself.  The universe had granted him Keith in his New Life. He would be damned if he let anymore of their time slip through his fingers.

 

“Keith,” he started, fingers of his left hand wandering up his partner’s arm, dancing faintly along his shoulders until he was cupping Keith’s cheek.  His thumb caressed the scar there gently. He didn’t have to coax the man any closer. He should have known from watching the way Keith approached kissing Lance.  Keith could come off as rash. In reality, it wasn’t like that. He considered his options, decided on a method of attack, and sprung into action.

 

Shiro could think of no more acceptable actions than finally pressing his lips against Keith’s.  It was a bit rushed, their teeth clacked against one another briefly, but something about that kiss set a fire in Shiro’s chest like nothing else ever had.  Pleasant chills exploded over his neck when they pulled back slightly to meet each other’s gaze and share the same breath. If he had ever thought of Keith’s eyes as entrancing, he had no idea just how true that was.  They called to him, and he had no problem giving in, pressing kiss after kiss to his partner, stealing the breath from both their lungs.

 

When he next opened his eyes, the world was showered in every color imaginable.  Loud bangs shook the building a bit, reverberating through his chest. Shiro huffed out a laugh.  He hadn’t even noticed the fireworks starting. There was something sappy there, maybe that they had their own fireworks or something.  But, that wasn’t quite true. Their kiss wasn’t quite as fleeting. Instead, it smoldered lightly in his stomach, even when their faces tipped back to watch the show.  Even after the last of the fireworks had lit up the sky and they were forced to leave their perch, to return to the ground with the rest of the festival goers.

 

Shiro prayed that comfortable heat never left him.

 

~x~x~

 

**"Attention. Curfew is now in session. Please return to pods for memory realignment. Joint pods available on a first come first serve basis. I repeat. Curfew is now in session. We thank you for your participation in this year's New Life Festival."**

 

The audible sighs of frustration and disappointment that rang up from the crowd echoed the sharp pang of it Shiro felt in his own heart. Had it really been twelve hours already? Before he could continue to mourn the ending of what had turned into the best day he could have imagined, Keith's slim hand slid into his, tugging him along in a hurry. "Come on." Shiro blinked, surprised at Keith's urgency. Their time together was so limited. Why would he want it to end faster? Still, he jogged alongside him without question.

 

They passed dozens of people trapped in long embraces, crying openly at the thought of the day ending. Not for the first time, Shiro wondered what was in store for him now. His Old Life was as much a mystery to him as why he was at the New Life Festival in the first place. Something out there must have been bad enough to want to attend a festival with no memories of yourself or the world outside. He stared at the metal arm being pulled along by Keith, thinking of the endless mess of scars upon his flesh. The more he considered it, the less he wanted to go back to a life that had given him those viscous indicators of a painful world.

 

They reached the kiosk for a pod station just as they started scanning bracelets. It bothered Shiro that they hadn't spoken yet. Everything had been so damn good at the fireworks show. His lips still tingled with the memory of Keith's lips against them. The image of Keith's violet eyes and pale skin lit up by the explosions of color around them was still burned into his retinas. Maybe this would be the most merciful thing, Shiro considered. But, as always, his assumptions couldn't come close to capsulating Keith's plans. When they reached the attendant, whose bright cheery smile felt like an insult after all this time, Keith spared no words.

 

"Are there any more joint pods available?"

 

Shiro tightened his hand in Keith's, shooting him a surprised look. The attendant glanced at the screen in front of her briefly. "Yes! A two person pod shall suffice?"

 

"Yes, thank you."

 

The young woman finished updating their pod assignment and scanned both their bracelets. "Wonderful. Enjoy your memory realignment. And we do so hope your New Life was everything you wanted it to be."

 

Shiro managed a smile, though his eyes were directed at Keith. "It was all that and more."

 

It didn't take them long to find their pod. When Keith opened the door, Shiro was surprised to see just how much nicer it was than the pod he had woken up in. The bed was at least double the size and the walls, while still looking clinical and bare, were almost comfortable by comparison due to the more fleshed out room. A couple of chairs by a small table, with a in suite bathroom and what looked like some sort of water fountain (though Shiro didn't know if there would be actual water in it). Their guide waited until they were mostly settled before beginning his explanation.

 

"Welcome back. As I'm sure you recall from your wake up greeting, the New Life Festival here on Vale was designed to give people from all over the universe a place to enjoy some time away from the stresses of both being themselves and the outside's politics. In order to create an environment completely neutral of any outside conflicts, all participants consumed a tonic that restricted their access to non-essential memories during their stay. Who you are, what you did for a living, and your stance on the events of the universe around us were made unreachable, leaving only your access to physical memories, understanding of language and any memories necessary for your life, such as allergies. We hope that this experience proved enlightening as to what you are like outside of the context of your life. And we hope to see you back again.

 

"Now, to end the festival, we need to slowly purge the tonic from your system. This will be done via a medicine applied to the air of this pod. You need not do anything special. Your memories will return to you in chunks as you breathe normally. We also advise that you sleep so that your journey from Vale is safe and productive. Since you're in a joint pod, the table to your left has any supplies you may need for a happy last few hours in the festival. Do you have any questions?"

 

Neither party spoke up, both having focused their eyes on each other long ago. The guide nodded and moved to leave. "An announcement will be played shortly to mark when the medicine will start being applied. Enjoy your evening." And with that, they were alone once more.

 

Shiro sat in the deafening silence with a heart heavy with loss and worry. What would his memories of today feel like when he came back to being the person he used to be? Conceivably, he could have been anyone out there. A space pirate, a warlord, a miner from some far flung mineral planet. Here, he was Shiro, a man who liked music with a fast beat, salty food, and being with Keith. Here, he was simple, happy. Out there, he could be the exact opposite. A pit of dread grew in his stomach. Keith could be anything out there too.

 

"What if we are enemies?" His voice was nothing more than a whisper. "We could come back to our memories and immediately try to strangle one another." Keith hummed in acknowledgement but didn't have a reply just yet. Shiro's anxiety plowed on. "Or we could just be strangers, with no chance of ever staying in touch. The universe is huge. We could be anything."

 

Keith's thumb ran itself soothingly over the back of his right hand. His sense of touch from it was dimmed but still present. Those big gorgeous violet eyes he adored so much finally came up to meet his. Keith was calm. Almost startlingly so considering that Shiro was literally vibrating with his worries. Keith smiled gently at him. "We could be anything. But I doubt either of those options is the case."

 

He sounded so sure. Shiro wished he could be anywhere near as confident about this. "How can you tell?"

 

"Well," he brought his other hand up to card through Shiro's hair. "Because I knew you." Shiro's expression must have been amusing because Keith chuckled a bit. "I did. From the moment we were properly introduced, I just...knew you."

 

"I don't think I'm following you."

 

"Yes you are, you're just fretting too much to remember." Shiro blinked. Keith ran his fingers across the scar on Shiro's nose, smile warm and dripping affection. "Have you ever thought of something but not been able to think of what it was called? Like...you can picture it perfectly in your head, maybe even smell or taste it, but the words won't leave the tip of your tongue? And then, when you hear someone else say it, you think ah! That's it. That's what that's called. And you feel so relieved?"

 

Shiro nodded, smiling a bit. "Sure. I did that earlier today, with the Mac n Cheese thing."

 

Keith's smile was disarming. He couldn't have looked away if he tried. "Exactly. Well, that's how I felt when you told me your name."

 

Suddenly, he recalled what that moment had been like. How the word Keith had fit the man before him so well it was uncanny. Keith's soft whisper of his own name once he heard it. His realization must have been visible because Keith laid a kiss to the side of his mouth, nodding to Shiro's unspoken understanding.

 

"That's why I don't think we are enemies. Or strangers. My mind didn't know you, but my heart did. And it wasn't apprehension or dread I felt. It was relief. I was happy I found you. I am happy that you're here with me now. That's why I wanted to spend tonight together. No matter who we slowly return to, I want to do it at your side."

 

Tears welled up in Shiro's eyes, his smile crooked. Lance had teased Keith so much about emotionally prickly, but Shiro knew better. This boy was the world's most unapologetic romantic. Perhaps only behind closed doors though. Raz's conjecture about knowing someone in your Old Life and New Life came back to him. "Guess that would mean we would be soulmates, huh?"

 

"Wouldn't that be something?" The pleased surprise on Keith's face at the comparison was answer enough.

 

**"Attention. Memory realignment beginning now. Please breathe normally as medicine is being applied through the air. Lights will dim so please feel free to sleep. Attendants will wake you when the full course of medicine has been applied. Thank you and we hope you enjoyed this year's New Life Festival."**

 

No matter how cheery the voice over the speakers sounded, tension still spread through Shiro's body at their words. Keith didn't give him a chance to retreat behind his walls again, kissing Shiro firmly. "C'mon," he bid when they separated. "Let's lay down and take your mind off of it, alright?" Shiro didn't have the will nor strength to fight him, only grateful kisses pressed to Keith's neck and they arranged themselves comfortably on the large plush pillows.

 

Kissing Keith was more than just a thorough distraction; it was a state of being, an experience that Shiro wanted to never cease. They started out slow and tentative, just like at the fireworks show. Every touch was a revelation and the slow slide of their lips together was warm, unhurried. Keith's hands felt like they were never in the same spot, nails scraping pleasantly at his scalp one moment, admiring the arch of his spine the next. Shiro's own hands stayed contently on Keith's waist not taking the same type of journey Keith's were. But at some point, his flesh hand caught on the edge of Keith's shirt, and he was scarcely able to keep himself from wandering the expanse of the warm back in his grasp. His investigation brought the shirt with him, mostly due to his own clumsiness really, but it was enough to draw a gasp from his partner, leaving that tantalizing mouth open for his tongue to explore as well.

 

Keith sat up quickly, lips separating with a wet pop. It was so sudden that Shiro at first feared he had crossed some boundary of Keith's. His concern was quickly and ruthlessly abated when Keith practically ripped the shirt from his body looking down at Shiro with eyes that both invited Shiro to claim him and warned him that he would be consumed entirely should he try. There was literally nothing more in the universe that Shiro wanted than to accept this particular challenge. He barely lifted his own shirt above his chin when Keith dived back down to capture his lips once more. Four hands struggled to help Shiro out of his cloth prison, uneffective mostly due to their frank unwillingness to separate their mouths again.

 

These kisses were different: hot, unyielding, all tongue and teeth and throaty moans. It lit a fire in his veins that he was sure would burn him into an unrecognizable pile of ash. That was just fine with Shiro. Keith's hands on his scarred flesh weren't just appreciative, they were worshiping him. His nails left red lines where they dragged down his pecs, abs, across his back. They stung so beautifully, tears pricked in Shiro's eyes. He hadn't intended to get so wrapped up in this. Sex hadn't been anywhere on his radar. But Keith's scalding hot affection felt so damn good after years of thinking he would never been touched like this again. God, the last person to ever light him up like this had been Adam and that had been forever ago...

 

Shiro's eyes shot open, body going rigid. Adam. His old boyfriend. Ex boyfriend. Shiro wasn't sure if it was more shocking that he was thinking of Adam because he was here with Keith or because that was a memory from at least three years ago. He swallowed harshly. His memories were coming back. Looking to Keith immediately, he knew he didn't have to share his revelation. Keith's eyes were filled with shock, almost guarded. But Shiro could still see how his body trembled with effort to keep himself in check. The heat was still there. "You good?" Shiro croaked.

 

Keith's mouth worked wordlessly for a minute before he nodded. "Y-yeah. I'm good."

 

Shiro considered briefly that it might be best to talk through what they were remembering. That kissing while they potentially recalled skeletons in their closets and old wounds might not help. But Shiro also knew that look in Keith's eyes. That bone chilling anxiety. After all, Keith had just pulled him out of it with soft kisses only a little while ago. Shiro forced himself to go slow as he wrapped his arms around Keith and rolled them over. Keith's eyes shined with a mix of wonder, want and a fear Shiro couldn't place without his memories. It was frustrating, but Shiro knew he wasn't without options to alleviate that fear, if Keith would let him.

 

Leaning down close, so their lips brushed with every word, Shiro stared Keith dead in the eye and asked, "Can I kiss you?"

 

Shiro was sure he didn't understand the complexity of the look on Keith's face then. Trembling hands came up to settle on either side of Shiro's face. His smile looked almost pained as he whispered, "God, yes" and sealed their lips together once more.

 

The shift their kisses took this time was like an inside joke that Shiro wasn't privy to. Keith was...desperate, honestly. Every slide of their tongues against each other brought another soft sigh from Keith's throat. The body beneath him was pliant and ridiculously receptive to all of Shiro's touches. His breathing was frenzied and body ran so hot Shiro would have been slightly concerned he had a fever if the fact wasn't turning him on so damn much. The more pressure Shiro applied with his body atop Keith's, the more heady and intense the reaction. It was intoxicating to be able to cause such sweet sounds. He was so focused on pushing every button he could, making Keith sigh and moan and gasp over and over, that he didn't notice how desperately they were rutting against each other until he felt the first signs of orgasm building in his groin.

 

Not wanting to get too far ahead of himself, Shiro broke their mouths apart for the first time in what felt like hours, body shivering as Keith's shining red lips formed his name like a benediction upon being released. "Shiro..." Something about that tone, the way he said it, sparked something in his brain. A pleading voice, hazy violet eyes.

 

Shiro bitterly cursed the attendant's use of the word "chunks" when describing how memories would return. This wasn't a chunk. It was a flood. But he didn't leave where he was mentally, physically or emotionally at that time to get swept away in it. One moment, he was staring down at Keith, the man he had met on the rooftop of a store at the New Life Festival. The man who had filled his day with adventure and smiles and a love that swallowed him whole. And the next...

 

The next he was staring down at Keith, the slight of a boy who had so much raw talent it scared Shiro. The boy he had dragged kicking and screaming into the Galaxy Garrison, but who looked at him like he hung the moon when he had finally settled in and accepted that Shiro wasn't going anywhere.

 

The boy who had stood by his side at the Kerberos launch, who believed in him and wanted him to be happy no matter what when even the man he almost proposed to have given up on him.

 

The boy who hadn't given up hope he was alive when he was enslaved, tortured, broken. Who rescued him from the Garrison officials who would sooner make him into their lab rat too than listen to his warnings.

 

The boy who had followed him fearlessly into space to fight a war that Shiro dragged him into and supported Shiro through the scars left on him by the Galra. Who found the answers he was looking for all along, nearly broke under their weight but never stopped moving.

 

The boy who became a man Shiro couldn't take his eyes off of, that saved Shiro time and time again, always at his own risk, and promised he would do it as many times as it took until the war was over.

 

The man that found his center, his confidence, on the back of a space whale with his long lost mother and a space wolf, only to come back, fight his clone to the death, risk everything to bring that clone back and then resurrected Shiro from the god damn grave.  The man that saved Earth and nearly died to do so.

 

Shiro stared down at Keith, the person who knew him best in the entire universe, who he had been drawn back to at the New Life Festival even with no memories at all. Which made sense, he thought, admiring Keith's kiss bruised lips and flushed cheeks. After all they had been through, Keith wasn't just someone he knew because of what they had done in his memories. Keith was tattooed on his soul. And he was currently shivering, tears streaming down his face, looking like he had just lost the ground from beneath his feet.

 

Shiro caught a tear with his flesh thumb, smiling adoringly down at his best friend. "You remember, don't you?"

 

Keith nodded, shakily, breath hitching. "It was the first thing I remembered. _You_ were the first thing I remembered." 

 

Ah. That would explain how scared he was before.  When they first met, Shiro had been Keith's superior officer, who was in a loving and very serious relationship.  All sorts of reasons to crush any feelings beneath his heel before they sprouted. Shiro thought of a dozen things he could have said in that moment. He could have asked if Keith really thought of him like a brother, or if it had been what he settled on for lack of a better term. After all, he had said it twice now. Once, preceding the words "I love you". He could have marveled that Keith in his New Life had smiled without reservation, hugged people freely, but still somehow kept his emotions mostly to himself.  That he had been so different but also exactly the same.  He could have leveled with Keith about his fears.  Ever since Keith had rescued him from the Garrison, they'd been dancing around...something.  And now, Keith had just spent a day where the context simply wasn't there.  A day where they loved each other openly. He didn't say any of that though.

 

"Hey, look at that, we ended up being soulmates, after all."

 

He knew that had been the right thing to say when the hesitation and deep seated dread in Keith's eyes spilled out like wine from a broken glass, painting his face in fresh salty tears. But joyous ones, if the face splitting grin he wore was anything to go on. Keith hit him like a freight train, knocking him on his back and covering his faces in wet kisses. Shiro laughed under his assault, feeling a bit like crying himself when Keith pulled back and proclaimed, "I love you," with an endless sea of affection swimming in those gorgeous violet eyes.

 

"I love you too, Keith." Anything else he could have said was drowned in the stream of desperate, open mouth kisses Keith bestowed to him. He met his partner halfway, more than eager.

 

More memories slowly trickled back into Shiro's awareness from then on. At some point it dawned on him that he and Keith had met up with every member of Team Voltron at some point during the festival. He knew exactly when Keith remembered that Lance existed because he broke their kiss with sour scowl on his face and murmured, "I kissed _Lance_ before I kissed you," as if it was a sin of the most grave proportions. His pout remained present for a few minutes longer than necessary because Shiro really couldn't stop laughing.

 

They spent the rest of their night curled contently in each other's arms, dozing and sharing memories as they popped up. Mostly, they were content that Keith had been absolutely right. They did know each other, on a level deeper than their memories provided. The New Life Festival on the planet of Vale had been a stop on their journey recommended by Coran. Keith and Shiro both had decided to participate mostly because their own lives had been so rough on them that they were interested to know what they would be like without those memories there shaping them into who they were. Neither had even considered the myth about two people from an Old Life meeting in the New Life meaning their souls were connected. It seemed that just being the paladins of Voltron had been enough to connect all their spirits together, a fact that warmed Shiro's heart greatly. But, while they had all found each other in some capacity, Shiro and Keith ended up clicking just as well, but in a different way than they did in their Old Lives. In fact, they got to fall in love with one another all over again.

 

Shortly before the end of the medicine cycle, Shiro mused, fingers carding contently through Keith's hair as he slept on Shiro's chest, that it was possible that this soulmate thing was really true. He wondered if they knew and loved each other in other universes too. Shiro also begrudgingly knew that only Slav would really know the answer to that question and therefore it was absolutely not worth asking. But, he had Keith in this timeline at least.

 

He could live with that

 

**Author's Note:**

> Phew! I've had this idea in my mind since season 4. It was so nice to finally get it written down. For anyone who is still confused, this takes place in an unidentified part of canon. It only references events up to S7, but if S8 doesn't separate our boys, I'm sure this could conceivably be post canon too. Basically, they just wanted to go somewhere nice and heard that Vale was a neutral territory from Coran. The New Life Festival locks your non-essential memories away so Keith could figure out what he really is like without the abandonment issues and Shiro could escape the PTSD for a bit. Their romantic relationship hadn't been started until this point.
> 
> I really hope you guys liked it. If you ever want to come scream with me, I exist on tumblr and twitter at kairiofknives. Please tell me what you liked in the comments. Or what you didn't! That's chill too.


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